Car-step extension.



No. 674,249. Patented May I4, I90l. H. A. PAGUETTE,

CAR STEP EXTENSION.

(Application led Dec. 15, 1900.)

(No Model.)

Zwsses,

UNITED STATES "PATENT 4Fries.

HERMAN A. PAQUE'ITE, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA` ASSIGNOR OF 'I WENTY- l y ONE TWENTYFIFTHS rlO ASA SNYDER, FREDERICK H.. POOLE, AND VVIIILIAM GIBB, OF SAME PLACE, AND NAPOLEON PAQUETTE, OF HE- BRON, VIRGINIA.

CAR-STEP EXTENSION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 674,249, dated May 14, 1901. Application til-ed December 15, 1900. Serial No. 39,974. (No model To a/ZZu/hom/ t may concern:

Beit known that I, HERMAN A. PAQUETTE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State 5 of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Step Extensions,

f which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the numerals ro of reference marked thereon. y

My invention relates to certain improvements in the steps of railroad-cars, consisting inan auxiliary step normally held in a closed position below and against the under side of I the fixed bottom step and which may be readily dropped or lowered into position by operating a trip, whereby said movable step may be conveniently used by passengers entering and leaving the car, which step may afterzo ward be raised to its normal position and automatically caught and held until needed again.

My invention obviates the use of the generally-employedportable stool forlessening the distance between the station-platform and the lower iixed step. It is well 'known that such a stool frequently affords an insecure foothold and is liable to be overturned, thus endangering the safety of passengers. Furthermore, the stool is sometimes out of place and delay is caused in .obtaining it. My invention obviates this and other disadvantagesnvhich will be readily recognized by railroad-men.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my invention applied to car-steps as seen from the end of the car. Fig. 2 is a View as seen from the side of the car. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a detail.

Similarnumerals of reference indicate similar parts.

l indicates the end of a passenger-car, and 2, 3, and 4 are steps leading upto the platform. At the ends of the lowest fixed step 2 are plates 5, an opening or slot being made in each.' Similar plates 6, also having slots,

are attached to the second step 3. Bars 7,

vone on each end of the series of fixed steps,

are adapted to slide freely in the slots formed in the plates 'and 6. The lower end of each bar 7 is formed into an inwardly-turned plate 8, to which is secured an auxiliary step 9, normally lield against-the bottom of the step 2, as represented in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2. About midway of each bar 7 are two projectinglugs 10 11, the former extendingoutwardly or on the side away from the steps and the latter on the forward edge of said bar. (See particularly Fig. 3.) i

' Journaled in bearings beneath the step 3, near its forward edge, is a rock-shaft 12, extending the full length of the step and carry- `ing a pawl 13 on each end, projecting rearwardly and in position to engage the lugs 11 on the bars 7. One of the pawls, preferably the one on the side away from the car, has an arm terminating in a knob extending in a forward direction beyond the front edge of the step 3 in convenient position to be depressed by the foot or hand for disengaging the pawls from the lugs 11 and permitting the -f step 9 to drop t0 the position shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2. Surrounding the rockshaft 12, near one end, is aspring 15, one end of which is connected to said shaft, the other end being fixed to a bracket 16. This spring tends to keep the arm 111 elevated and the pawls in position to engage or become engaged with the lugs 1.1. When the step 9 drops to its lower position, the lugs 10 on the arm 7 rest on the plates 5, by which means a firm support for the auxiliary step 9 is obtained.

To lprevent the step 9 from dropping too quickly and forcibly and from being suddenly stopped by the lugs 10 striking the plates 5, a spring-buffer is employed, as illustrated in Fig. 1. This buffer is formed of a rod 17, attached to a board 1S, placed beneath the steps, the lower end of said rod being held in a bracket 19. A spiral spring 20 surrounds the rod 17 and rests on a collar 21, which may beadjusted up and down upon the rod. The spring 20 is shorter thanthe rod 17 and terminates some distance below the point where the rod is fastened to the board 18. From the center of the auxiliary step 9a bar 22 extends rearwardly and then upwardly at an efe angle to a point near the upper end of the rod 17, Where it is bent, as shown. The bent end is perforated and is adapted to slide upon the rod 17. When the pawls 13 are operated to release the bars 7, the step 9 falls and the bent end of the bar 22 coming in contact with the upper end of the spring 2O compresses it and prevents that concussion or jar to which the step would otherwise be subjected. The elastic force of the spring 20 is such that the Weight of the step 9 and bars 7 is in equilibrium With it at approximately the moment when the lugs 10 reach the plates 5.

The step t) may be raised to its normal position by placing the hand or foot beneath it and lifting it until the pawls 13 engage the lugs 11.

Pivoted to brackets 24 under the bottom fixed step 2 are two rollers 23, one at each end of said step and so placed that they bear against the sliding bars 7 to reduce friction and lessen the force required to raise the auxiliary step 9 to its normal position.

It is apparent that departures mayv be made from the exact construction herein described, and anysuch departures therefrom-Which involve only mechanical skill without the exercise of invention I consider Within the scope of my improvement.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In combination with a series of fixed steps, an auxiliary step having slide-bars movably securing it to said series of fixed steps, eachY bar having a lug 11 for holding the auxiliary step in elevated position, and a second lug 10 for supporting it in its lowered position, guide-plates attached to the series of iixed steps, spring-operated pawls for engaging the lugs 11, one of said pawls having an arm in convenient position to be depressed by foot or hand, a spring-buffer beneath the series of fixed steps, and a bar attached to the auxiliary step and arranged to strike the spring-buffer to break the force of the fall of the auxiliary step when released, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with a series of fixed steps, an auxiliary step having bars secured thereto and adapted to slide in plates bolted to said series of iixed steps, each of said slidebars having lugs lO and 11, a rock-shaft jou rnaled beneath the upper step of the fixed series, a pawl at each end of said rock-shaft to engage the lugs 11 on the slide-bars, an arm fixed to the rock-shaft and lying, in convenieut position to be depressed by foot or hand, a spring-butter to ease the downward movement ol' the auxiliary step, and rollers attached to one ot' the lixed steps and bearing on the slide-bars, substantially as set forth.

,In combination with a series of fixed steps, an auxiliary step movably secured to said fixed series by sliding bars, each bar having a lug for holdingl the auxiliary step in elevated position and a second lug for supporting it in its lowered position, a rock-shaft having` an arm in position to be conveniently operated by foot or hand and further provided with a pawl on each end adapted to engage the lugs for holding the auxiliary step elevated,and an independently-acting springbutter for breaking the shock or torce of the auxiliary step in its downward movement, substantially las set forth.

HERMAN A. PAQUE'PTE.

Vitnesses:

N. PAQUETTE, HATTIE Ro'rI-IER. 

